The $61,000 question: First look at Ford’s most expensive F-150 pickup

Soon it will be possible to walk into a Ford dealership with a little more than $61,000 and drive out in a new, loaded 2015 F-150 pickup truck. No, a complimentary Fusion sedan isn’t included.

When Ford’s next generation of F-Series pickups rolls into dealerships later this year, the revolutionary aluminum body won’t be the only thing pushing the price of an F-150 higher.

Truck buyers want the same high-end trappings that you’d find in any other luxury vehicle. Truck makers are all too happy to oblige, given the healthy profits these models reel in.

So at the press launch of the all-new 2015 F-150 in San Antonio this week, we grabbed the keys to a completely loaded Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew to see what $61,000 worth of truck feels like.

The list of options on this Ford is nearly as long as the four-door truck itself.

The notable highlights are a touch screen navigation system, heated and cooled leather seats (with a massage function), a panoramic moonroof, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree camera system with trailer hitch aligning, LED headlights and taillights, remote tailgate release, 20-inch alloy wheels and airbags built into the rear seat belts.

There are LED lights on the side-view mirrors to illuminate a camp or worksite without using the headlights. Fold the mirrors in and you can light up the side of the truck when changing a tire in the dark, for example.

A step-and-grab handle folds out of the tailgate when it’s down to make climbing into the bed easier. And a smaller step on the side of the truck in front of the rear wheels pops out by kicking it, allowing you to step up and grab things out of the bed from the side.

Our tester also had Ford’s optional 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 engine. Gone are the days when splurging on a Ford F-150 meant a burly V-8 came wedged under the hood. With this new generation of F-Series, the most capable version for towing and raw torque is this high-end EcoBoost unit.

Paired to a six-speed automatic transmission with tow and sport modes, and all-wheel-drive, the engine makes 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque.

The powerful engine also has less mass to move around. Ford is betting big on aluminum for this new generation of trucks, becoming the first automaker to introduce on a large scale a vehicle with a completely aluminum body.

The switch from steel means the top-end Platinum model sheds 762 pounds compared with the outgoing generation. By keeping the engine’s power the same, this pickup has noticeably more pickup.

Lean on the throttle and this EcoBoost rewards you with smooth, robust acceleration and a hearty engine note (that’s artificially piped through the truck’s speakers). The power and response make it clear a V-8 is becoming irrelevant.

The transmission feels quicker and more eager than most of Ford’s rivals. The ride quality is as supple as any full-size truck, despite riding on 20-inch rims. And the cabin keeps outside noise outside.

This EcoBoost model is also the new top-dog in towing for the light-duty truck segment Ford says, capable of lugging 12,200 pounds behind it.

During our testing, the new F-150 hauled a 10,000-pound trailer. It never blinked. There’s no escaping the weight of a loaded three-horse trailer behind you, but the engine and transmission felt like they could keep going all day.

The $61,000 sticker price is a lot of money for any vehicle, and a cool $20,000 higher than what the average full-size truck buyer paid in 2013, according to Edmunds.com. It’s also quite a jump from the outgoing generation of high-end F-150s -- previously the truck maxxed out at around $56,000 if you tried hard to add every option.

But for Texas-sized luxury and capability, Ford’s F-150 Platinum lives up to its name.